2002 18,000# chassis electrical problem

[Mirada2005]

Ignition on, no power to dash gauges and will not crank. Engine will crank when you jumper the solenoid, but will not start.
Any suggestions???
I started the coach twice the other morning before taking it to the AC shop for service. When the tech tried to start the coach, nothing. After a lot of time spent by the owner trying to figure out what was going on, we towed the coach to the nearby Workhorse Service shop. And the park brake could not be released so the tow company had to remove the drive shaft.
Is there any way to release the park brake by applying power directly to the park brake unit?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Les Leach
Thousand Oaks, CA

[Mirada2005]

Ignition on, no power to dash gauges and will not crank. Engine will crank when you jumper the solenoid, but will not start.
Any suggestions???
I started the coach twice the other morning before taking it to the AC shop for service. When the tech tried to start the coach, nothing. After a lot of time spent by the owner trying to figure out what was going on, we towed the coach to the nearby Workhorse Service shop. And the park brake could not be released so the tow company had to remove the drive shaft.
Is there any way to release the park brake by applying power directly to the park brake unit?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Les Leach
Thousand Oaks, CA

[max49]

Lot's of good questions but I don't know the answers. I hope someone else does. It sounds like it could be something minor. Let us know what it turns out to be.

"Is there any way to release the park brake by applying power directly to the park brake unit?"

That's an interesting question that I'd like to know too. However and irregardless, since you have automatic, I would'nt tow it very far without disconnecting the driveshaft.

[Jeff H]

We had a '01 P32. Yes, the driveshaft should be removed to tow.
Sounds like your ignition switch has gone bye bye.

[adj]

Just a thought. I had a 94 Brave that had an ignition problem. When the steering wheel was adjusted, it was pinching the ignition wiring.

[Mirada2005]

The problem was a burned connector at the steering column. It looks like just a plug in for power to go through. And it is connected to the ignition switch. The mechanic says that "all power" in the chassis goes through this connector and the ignition switch. He indicates that the connectors may have been loose and there was a bad connection. I have not yet gotten under the dash to see what it looks like.
Any suggestions for locations to purchase these connectors online??
Thnaks
Les
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Damon Daybreak:
Ignition on, no power to dash gauges and will not crank. Engine will crank when you jumper the solenoid, but will not start.
Any suggestions???
I started the coach twice the other morning before taking it to the AC shop for service. When the tech tried to start the coach, nothing. After a lot of time spent by the owner trying to figure out what was going on, we towed the coach to the nearby Workhorse Service shop. And the park brake could not be released so the tow company had to remove the drive shaft.
Is there any way to release the park brake by applying power directly to the park brake unit?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Les Leach
Thousand Oaks, CA </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[MikeT]

Some body makers wired too many electrical devices through the ignition switch, and the current draw is too high for the switch and connectors. You'll have to determine if this is your problem, and if so, add relays and fused circuits to handle the additional load and move it off the ignition wiring.

[Jeff H]

Workhorse makes an "updated" harness/switch. We know, took them 3 switches to get it right.

[WallyB]

I had similar problems with my P32 chassis (Airstream Land Yacht), was towed twice, and hopefully have fixed the problem forever. The Auto Park system sets the brake when the ignition goes off. This can be disconcerting when driving down the road and the brake sets. The first time this happened to me at 14000 miles, tIhe connector was burned and making intermittent conections I figured this out later), I got it started and drove to a shop in Tucson where they could not get the problem to repeat and just shrugged their shoulders. After I left, I noticed a hot electrical smell.

Finally the ignition switch failed in the entrance to a campground a few hundred miles down the road. I was stopped to register and it would not restart. I was towed 70 miles to another shop. The tow driver disconnected the mechanical linkage to the Auto Brake to allow towing. The shop replaced a burned ignition switch and I headed for home.

A short time later, the Rig failed to start in my carport. No way to tow it so road service was to send a mobile mechanic. No mechanic for several days so I began troubleshooting and found the burned connector which had failed completely. I fixed it with a connector kit from Chevrolet parts store GM PN 12102602 (terminal connector, wires and crimp connectors.) I found out at this time that Workhorse knew the coach builders were overloading their switch and were developing an upgrade kit but it was not available. I went about 30000 miles and the ignition switch failed again. I was towed again and had only the switch replaced at this time as I needed to get home. The upgrade kit was available but had to come from Workhorse parts at a big bucks price and several days delivery. The repair included reinstalling the drive shaft which the tow driver had removed.

When I returned home I learned the ignition switch upgrade kit WCC PN W8002085 contained a relay kit for the P32, a new ignition switch, and a relay kit for some other application which I didn't have, The kit is about $254. I bought a relay, terminals, crimp connectors, and heavy wire for about $20 and installed a relay system on pin C in the ignition switch (pink wire.) This wire carries many chassis loads as well as supplying the coach builder. The relay is a 70a 12 vdc SPST automotive part PN NTE-R51-1D70-12F.
The wire was the most expensive part of the fix.

After about 8000 miles, it seems to work fine and the switch does not get hot to the touch.

[Jeff H]

So, there it is! WallyB has it in a nutshell.
Good job!

[oemtech]

Yep, 1000%+ mark up, 2 weeks to get it (nobody stocks it), $$ shipping and $$$ for labor. Now toss in the towing and anything else that was paid out and you have one big bill that should not have happened to start with.

[MikeT]

The problem is the coach maker added too many circuits to the ignition switch, and exceeded design characteristics of the switch and wiring.

Anyone with a little electrical knowledge should be able to make the circuit to carry the load. Parts available at auto stores or Radio Shack ---

[oemtech]

Mike T,

Here is another case of OEM's overloading a component and WCC gets the black eye. This isn't any different that the shock problem or the burnt plug wire problem.

But, my beef is that WCC builds the kit, the cost is really high, availability is low and labor to install is outrageous.

Now, on the other hand WCC owns the fuel filter debacle and the current brake problems.

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by oemtech:
But, my beef is that WCC builds the kit, the cost is really high, availability is low and labor to install is outrageous. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>.... and how does WCC control labor? .... and the kit cost way less than your 1000% markup allegation.

Bottom like is the solution works and it has proven itself to be effective. An owner can therefore expect a good conclusion regarding the implementation and it will only be needed to done "once".

To my knowledge, the kit is a DIY - it comes with instructions.